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Google Cybersecurity Professional Certificate Review

Google Cybersecurity Professional Certificate Review

Google Cybersecurity Professional Certificate Review
byBeimnet Zewduon Jun 27, 2023
Cybersecurity

As technology develops, so does the demand for cybersecurity experts. Regardless of prior experience or educational background, the Google Cybersecurity Professional Certificate is a program created to educate people for entry-level positions in the cybersecurity industry.

Google created this professional certificate program to help people without experience build job-ready skills and find work as Cybersecurity analysts. The certificate includes eight courses and takes about 6 months at 7 hours a week to complete.

I’ve gone through the courses, and in this comprehensive review, I’ll explain what you’ll learn, what the exams look like, and whether this is a good cybersecurity certification to follow.


What is Google Cybersecurity Certification?

The Google Cybersecurity Certificate is an entry-level professional certification that prepares students for entering the cybersecurity industry as cybersecurity analysts, security analysts, cyber defense analysts, and other related jobs.

The lessons are prepared by Google employees and delivered through Coursera. Anyone can take this course and get certified without any cybersecurity experience, and no related degree is required.

Once you finish this course, you can also attempt to pass the CompTIA Security+ exam and get the industry-leading CompTIA Security certification.


What skills you will gain in Google Cybersecurity Professional Certificate?


The eight-course Google Cybersecurity Professional Certificate program equips students with the knowledge and abilities to defend against cyberattacks and unwanted access to networks, devices, people, and data.

Using Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) tools and reducing cybersecurity risks are only a few of the subjects covered in the program. Other topics covered include recognizing typical risks, attacks, and vulnerabilities.

Additionally, you will develop expertise in projects that are ready for a portfolio and show how well you can use cybersecurity principles in practical situations.

The certificate program consists of close to 150 hours of instruction, hundreds of practice-based tests, and exercises, such as tasks for a portfolio that allow students to demonstrate their abilities to prospective employers.


You will familiarize yourself with the cybersecurity tools, platforms, and abilities necessary for entry-level employment through a combination of videos, exams, and hands-on laboratories.

You also pick up in-demand technical skills including communication, teamwork, analysis, problem-solving, Python, Linux, SQL, Intrusion Detection Systems (IDS), and more.


The certification learning objectives are summarized in the following paragraphs:


✅ What cybersecurity is and why do all types of organizations need it?

✅ How to put security measures in place to protect computers, people, and data against cyberattacks?

✅ What resources should be used to detect risks, address threats, and secure vulnerabilities?

✅ How to carry out numerous cybersecurity duties using Python, Linux, and SQL?

✅ How to look for and apply for jobs in cybersecurity?

✅ A preparation guide for job interviews


Before we see what the certificate consists of and see what the courses are let us see if it is worth it, what topics are covered and which are not, and the pros and cons of the course.


Is Google Cybersecurity Professional Certificate Worth It?

Only beginners in the field should pursue the Google Cybersecurity Professional Certificate. You will gain practical experience in this certificate program through hands-on projects and laboratories that mimic real-world situations.

Consider that you are keen to begin your cybersecurity career. In that instance, the Google Cybersecurity Professional Certificate is valuable because it's reasonably priced and can be finished in a short period when compared to other online programs. Additionally, it might act as a springboard for additional study in the field of cybersecurity.

However, the Google Cybersecurity Professional Certificate is not worthwhile if you're seeking an advanced-level cybersecurity program as it does not offer advanced topics.

What topics are covered?

Including network security, cryptography, incident response, secure coding techniques, penetration testing, vulnerability assessment, and security risk management, I saw that the Google Cybersecurity Professional Certificate covers a wide range of crucial cybersecurity topics.

What topics are not covered?

Advanced cryptography, malware analysis, advanced penetration testing, network forensics, secure application development, cloud security architecture, incident response and handling, secure Internet of Devices (IoT), and governance, risk, and compliance (GRC) were not covered by the Google Cybersecurity Professional Certificate.


What are the Positives and Negatives of the certificate?

Pros:

✔️ Industry recognition from Google.
✔️ Practical training with hands-on experience.
✔️ Flexible online program.
✔️ Entry-level opportunities.
✔️ Cost-effective compared to other options.

Cons:

❌ The limited scope focused on Google’s security products.

❌ Lack of depth in advanced topics.

❌ Self-paced learning requires self-discipline.

❌ Limited networking opportunities.

❌ Limited recognition outside of Google.

How is it delivered?

The method of delivery was effective and engaging. The video lectures were expertly made and presented by qualified professors from Google, that are active in the industry like Security Engineers, Analysts, and much more. The interactive exercises and tests improved learning and provided practice opportunities. There are also discussion prompts that will help you discuss topics with your fellow classmates.


There are comprehensive reading materials, that will help you summarize topics, and define terms introduced in previous videos.




Then you have Portfolio Activities that give you real-world scenarios and let you review the details of a security incident and document the incident, the steps to resolve the incident, how to report it to the right stakeholder, and much more.

Finally, there are two to three multiple-choice practice tests, a week and one final one every week.



How difficult is the program?

The difficulty level of the Google Cybersecurity Professional Certificate was moderate. If you have any previous knowledge and experience in the computer science field it will be easier to grasp the concepts. If you have programming experience in Python then the 7th course - Automate Cybersecurity Tasks with Python will be much easier. Additionally, if you have worked on Linux operating systems then, the 4th course - Tools of the Trade: Linux and SQL have exercises that focus on SQL Commands and working with Linux systems so this will also be very easy.

Are there supporting resources and practicality?

The emphasis of the course was on practical abilities and cybersecurity applications in the real world. You may put your knowledge to use and earn real-world experience thanks to the inclusion of practical activities and simulations.

Google offered great assistance and tools. My learning experience was improved by the supplemental materials, which included reading materials and additional resources.


What are the contents of the Google Cybersecurity Certificate?

There are eight online courses required for the Google Cybersecurity certification.

1️⃣ Foundations of Cybersecurity (13 hours)

2️⃣ Play It Safe: Manage Security Risks (12 hours)

3️⃣ Connect and Protect: Networks and Network Security (14 hours)

4️⃣ Tools of the Trade: SQL and Linux (25 hours)

5️⃣ Assets, Threats, and Vulnerabilities (21 hours)

6️⃣ Sound the Alarm: Detection and Response (21 hours)

7️⃣ Automate Cybersecurity Tasks with Python (27 hours)

8️⃣ Put It to Work: Prepare for Cybersecurity Jobs (15 hours)


Now let’s delve into each of these courses, course by course, week by week.


1. Foundations of Cybersecurity (13 hours)


The Foundations of Cybersecurity is an introductory course to the program. The learning material is about 13 hours long but can be completed in less time.

You will learn the following things in this course:

✅ Determine the effect of security attacks on corporate operations.
✅ Examine the duties and essential competencies of an entry-level cybersecurity analyst.
✅ Recognize how past and present attacks on organizations led to the development of the cybersecurity field.
✅ 8 security domains in the CISSP. — Determine the security frameworks, domains, and controls.
✅ A description of security ethics Recognizes the typical resources employed by cybersecurity experts.

Here is the link to join this course — Foundations of Cybersecurity

This course is divided into 4 weeks, and we will discuss them as follows:

Week 1: You’ll learn about what each course covers and what skills and knowledge are needed to become a security analyst. It will take about 4 hours to complete this week.

Learning Objectives

✅ Explain how this certificate program will help prepare learners for a career in security
✅ Define the field of security
✅ Explore the job responsibilities of an entry-level security analyst
✅ Recognize core skills and knowledge needed to become a security analyst
✅ Describe how security analysts protect networks and information

Week 2: You’ll be introduced to the different cyber-attack types and what each type does. This week will take about 3 hours to complete.

Learning Objectives

✅ Identify the most common types of attacks, past and present
✅ Identify how security attacks impact business operations
✅ Recognize how past and present attacks on business operations have led to the development of the security field
✅Identify the CISSP eight security domains

Week 3: You’ll learn about security frameworks CIA triad and NIST and how they are used against security attacks. This week will take about 3 hours to complete.

Learning Objectives

✅ Identify the most common types of attacks, past and present
✅ Identify how security attacks impact business operations
✅ Recognize how past and present attacks on business operations have led to the development of the security field
✅ Identify the CISSP eight security domains


Week 4: You’ll learn about Linux, SQL, and Python and their role in cybersecurity. It will take about 4 hours to complete this week.

Learning Objectives

✅ Identify common tools used by entry-level security analysts
✅ Identify the purposes of commonly used tools
✅ Identify commonly used programming languages and how entry-level security analysts interact with those languages
✅ Discuss how entry-level security analysts use tools and programming languages to mitigate risk

Every week has videos, reading materials, practice quizzes, practical scenarios to work on, and a final quiz.


2. Play It Safe: Manage Security Risks (12 hours)



In the Google Cybersecurity Certificate program, this is the second course. You will learn the skills you need to apply for an entry-level cybersecurity job in this course. The topics that were covered in the first Google Cybersecurity Certificate course will be expanded upon.

You will go deeper into the ideas covered in the first course in this course, with a focus on how cybersecurity experts employ frameworks and controls to safeguard corporate processes. In particular, you'll examine typical threats, risks, and vulnerabilities and identify the phases in risk management.

Here is the link to join this course — Play it Safe - Manage Security Risks

This course is also divided into 4 weeks, we will discuss them as follows:

Week 1: You’ll learn about CISSP security domains. In simple terms, these are the 8 different areas related to cybersecurity that a security analyst may have to deal with. Security domains include risk management, data security, network security, identity management, and more.

Learning Objectives

✅ Recognize and explain the focus of CISSP's eight security domains.
✅ Identify and define the primary threats, risks, and vulnerabilities to business operations.
✅ Describe the threats, risks, and vulnerabilities that entry-level security analysts are most focused on.
✅ Determine how threats, risks, and vulnerabilities impact business operations.
✅ Identify the steps of risk management.

You'll also discover Asley's journey from the Army to working as a Security specialist at Google. Anyone looking to change careers without prior expertise will find this tale motivating.

Week 2: You will learn about security concepts and security audits from the Open Web Application Security Project (OWASP). The precise structure for organizing and carrying out a security audit will be provided to you.

Learning Objectives

✅ Explore common elements of internal security audits.
✅ Define security audits.
✅ Define security frameworks and controls.
✅ Describe the CIA triad.
✅ Explain the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) frameworks.
✅ Identify security principles.
✅ Examine how businesses use security frameworks and controls to protect business operations.

You will also be required to execute your first portfolio activity as part of the assessment, which entails completing a controls assessment and compliance checklist to find ways Botium Toys (a fictional company) can strengthen its IT security.

You will be provided step-by-step directions for this activity and all other activities to follow to finish the task. You can get the example, which is the best option after you submit your work.

Week 3: You’ll learn how to identify threats and vulnerabilities with Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) tools and myths of the cybersecurity field.

Learning Objectives

✅ Identify and define commonly used Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) tools.
✅ Describe how SIEM tools are used to protect business operations.


Week 4: You'll learn about the purposes and common uses of playbooks. You'll also explore how cybersecurity professionals use playbooks to respond to identified threats, risks, and vulnerabilities.

Learning Objectives

✅ Define and describe the purpose of a playbook.
✅ Use a playbook to respond to identified threats, risks, or vulnerabilities.


Every week has videos, reading materials, practice quizzes, practical scenarios to work on, and a final quiz.


3. Connect and Protect: Networks and Network Security (14 hours)

The Google Cybersecurity Certificate's third course is this one. You will acquire the knowledge and abilities necessary to apply for entry-level cybersecurity jobs in this course. Additionally, you'll expand on the concepts covered in the second Google Cybersecurity Certificate course.

Here are key things you will learn in this course:

✅ Describe the structure of different computer networks.
✅ Illustrate how data is sent and received over a network.
✅ Recognize common network protocols.
✅ Identify common network security measures and protocols.
✅ Explain how to secure a network against intrusion tactics.
✅ Compare and contrast local networks to cloud computing.
✅ Explain the different types of system hardening techniques.


Here is the link to join the course - Connect and Protect: Networks and Network Security


Week 1: Starts with an introduction to networks and how they work. Then it explains network communication protocols and network infrastructure.

Learning Objectives


✅ Define types of networks
✅ Describe the physical components of a network
✅ Understand how the TCP/IP model provides a framework for network communication
✅ Explain how data is sent/received over a network
✅ Explain network architecture

Week 2: You will explore network protocols and how network communication can introduce vulnerabilities. In addition, you'll learn about common security measures, like firewalls, that help network operations remain safe and reliable.

Learning Objectives


✅ Recognize network protocols
✅ Describe the protocol(s) used to transmit and access data over wireless networks
✅ Describe a firewall
✅ Identify common network security measures and protocols



Week 3: You will understand the types of network attacks and techniques used to secure compromised network systems and devices. You'll explore the many ways that malicious actors exploit vulnerabilities in network infrastructure and how cybersecurity professionals identify and close potential loopholes.

Learning Objectives


✅ Describe network intrusion tactics
✅ Explain how to secure a network against intrusion tactics
✅ Investigate security breaches
✅ Understand different types of network attacks
✅ Troubleshoot basic network issues using appropriate tools and methods

Week 4: You will become familiar with network hardening practices that strengthen network systems. You'll learn how security hardening helps defend against malicious actors and intrusion methods. You'll also learn how to use security hardening to address the unique security challenges posed by cloud infrastructures.

Learning Objectives


✅ Describe OS hardening techniques
✅ Describe network and cloud hardening techniques that target network vulnerabilities
✅ Describe network hardening techniques
✅ Explain cloud security practices

Every week has videos, reading materials, practice quizzes, practical scenarios to work on, and a final quiz.

4. Tools of the Trade: SQL and Linux (25 hours)

The Google Cybersecurity Certificate's fourth course is this one. You will gain knowledge in this course that will help you in your career as a cybersecurity analyst.

You will first practice using Linux, an operating system that is frequently utilized by cybersecurity experts. For instance, you may access and control the file system and authenticate users using the Linux command line and Bash shell. After that, you'll utilize SQL to interact with a database.

After completing this course, you will understand:

✅ The interaction between hardware, software, and operating systems.
✅ How to contrast a command line interface with a graphical user interface.
✅ Describe the distinctive characteristics of popular Linux distributions.
✅ Use the Bash shell to navigate and control the file system with Linux commands.
✅ How to authenticate and authorize users using Linux commands through the Bash shell.
✅ How to explain the structure of a relational database.
✅ How to retrieve data from a database using SQL.
✅ How to merge numerous tables using joins and add filters to SQL queries.

Here is the link to join this course — Tools of the Trade: SQL and Linux

Week 1: You will learn about the relationship between operating systems, hardware, and software, and become familiar with the primary functions of an operating system. You'll recognize common operating systems in use today and understand how the graphical user interface (GUI) and command-line interface (CLI) both allow users to interact with the operating system.

Learning Objectives


✅ Describe the main functions of an operating system.
✅ Recognize the most common operating systems in use.
✅ Explain the relationship between operating systems, applications, and hardware.
✅ Compare a graphical user interface to a command line interface.

Week 2: You will be introduced to the Linux operating system and learn how it is commonly used in cybersecurity. You’ll also learn about Linux architecture and common Linux distributions. In addition, you'll be introduced to the Linux shell and learn how it allows you to communicate with the operating system.

Learning Objectives


✅ Describe the architecture of the Linux operating system.
✅ Discuss why Linux is commonly used in the security profession.
✅ Identify the unique features of common Linux distributions.
✅ Describe how a shell provides an interface for the user to interact with the operating system.

Week 3: You will be introduced to Linux commands as entered through the Bash shell. You'll use the Bash shell to navigate and manage the file system and to authorize and authenticate users. You'll also learn where to go for help when working with new Linux commands.

Learning Objectives


✅ Navigate the file system using Linux commands via the Bash shell.
✅ Manage the file system using Linux commands via the Bash shell.
✅ Describe how Linux handles file permissions.
✅ Use Linux commands via the Bash shell to authenticate and authorize users.
✅ Use sudo to provide root user permissions.
✅ Access resources that provide support on using Linux commands.

Week 4: You will practice using SQL to communicate with databases. You'll learn how to query a database and filter the results. You’ll also learn how SQL can join multiple tables together in a query.

Learning Objectives


✅ Discuss how SQL is used within the security profession.
✅ Describe how a relational database is organized.
✅ Use SQL to retrieve information from a database.
✅ Apply filters to SQL queries.
✅ Use SQL joins to combine multiple tables into a query.

Every week has videos, reading materials, practice quizzes, practical scenarios to work on, and a final quiz.

5. Assets, Threats, and Vulnerabilities (21 hours)


This is the fifth course in the Google Cybersecurity Certificate. In this course, you will explore the concepts of assets, threats, and vulnerabilities. First, you’ll build an understanding of how assets are classified.

Next, you will become familiar with common threats and vulnerabilities, and the security controls used by organizations to protect valuable information and mitigate risk.

Here are key things you will learn in this course:

✅ Effective data handling processes.
✅ Role of encryption and hashing in securing assets.
✅ How to effectively use authentication and authorization.
✅ How common vulnerability exposures are identified by MITRE.
✅ Analyze an attack surface to find risks and vulnerabilities.
✅ Identify threats, such as social engineering, malware, and web-based exploits.

You will also develop an attacker mindset by practicing the threat modeling process, and you’ll learn tactics for staying ahead of security breaches.


Here is the link to join this course — Assets, Threats, and Vulnerabilities


Week 1: You will be introduced to how organizations determine what assets to protect. You'll learn about the connection between managing risk and classifying assets by exploring the unique challenge of securing physical and digital assets. You'll also be introduced to the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) framework standards, guidelines, and best practices to manage cybersecurity risk.

Learning Objectives


✅ Define threat, vulnerability, asset, and risk.
✅ Explain security’s role in mitigating organizational risk.
✅ Classify assets based on value.
✅ Identify whether data is in use, in transit, or at rest.
✅ Discuss the uses and benefits of the NIST Cybersecurity Framework.

Week 2: You will focus on security controls that protect organizational assets. You'll explore how privacy impacts asset security and understand the role that encryption plays in maintaining the privacy of digital assets. You'll also explore how authentication and authorization systems help verify a user’s identity.

Learning Objectives


✅ Identify effective data handling processes.
✅ Identify how security controls mitigate risk.
✅ Discuss the role encryption and hashing play in securing assets.
✅ Describe how to effectively use authentication as a security control.
✅ Describe effective authorization practices that verify user access.

Week 3: You will build an understanding of the vulnerability management process. You'll learn about common vulnerabilities and develop an attacker mindset by examining the ways vulnerabilities can become threats to asset security if they are exploited.

Learning Objectives


✅ Differentiate between vulnerabilities and threats.
✅ Describe the defense in depth strategy.
✅ Explain how common vulnerability exposures are identified by MITRE.
✅ Explain how vulnerability assessments are used to assess potential risk.
✅ Analyze an attack surface.
✅ Develop an attacker mindset to recognize threats.


Week 4: You will explore common types of threats to digital asset security. You'll also examine the tools and techniques used by cybercriminals to target assets. In addition, you'll be introduced to the threat modeling process and learn ways security professionals stay ahead of security breaches.

Learning Objectives


✅ Identify forms of social engineering.
✅ Identify different types of malware.
✅ Identify forms of web-based exploits.
✅ Summarize the threat modeling process.

Every week has videos, reading materials, practice quizzes, practical scenarios to work on, and a final quiz.

6. Sound the Alarm: Detection and Response (21 hours)


The sixth lesson in the Google Cybersecurity Certificate program is this one. You will concentrate on incident detection and response in this course. A security incident will be defined, and the incident response lifecycle, including the duties of incident response teams, will be explained.

You'll also use packet sniffing tools to record network traffic as you analyze and interpret network conversations to find security events.

Here are key things you will learn in this course:

✅ Explain the lifecycle of an incident.
✅ Describe the tools used in the documentation, detection, and management of incidents.
✅ Analyze packets to interpret network communications.
✅ Perform artifact investigations to analyze and verify security incidents.
✅ Identify the steps to contain, eradicate, and recover from an incident
✅ Determine how to read and analyze logs during incident investigation.
✅ Interpret the basic syntax and components of signatures and logs in Intrusion Detection Systems (IDS) and Network Intrusion Detection Systems (NIDS) tools.
✅ Perform queries in Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) tools to investigate an event.

Here is the link to join this course — Sound the Alarm: Detection and Response

Week 1: Detection and incident response are an important part of a cybersecurity analyst’s work. You'll explore how cybersecurity professionals verify and respond to malicious threats and become familiar with the steps involved in incident response.

Learning Objectives


✅ Explain the lifecycle of an incident.
✅ Determine the roles and responsibilities of incident response teams.
✅ Describe the tools used in the documentation, detection, and management of incidents.


Week 2: You will explore network analysis tools, commonly referred to as packet sniffers. In particular, you'll sniff the network and analyze packets for malicious threats. You'll also craft filtering commands to analyze the contents of captured packets.

Learning Objectives


✅ Describe how network traffic analysis can help to detect, prevent, and respond to security incidents.
✅ Use packet sniffing tools to capture and view network communications.
✅ Analyze packets to interpret network communications.

Week 3: You will learn about the various processes and procedures in the stages of incident detection, investigation, analysis, and response. Then, you'll analyze the details of suspicious file hashes. You'll learn about the importance of documentation and evidence collection during the detection and response stages. Finally, you'll approximate an incident’s chronology by mapping artifacts to reconstruct an incident’s timeline.

Learning Objectives


✅ Perform artifact investigations to analyze and verify security incidents.
✅ Illustrate documentation best practices during the incident response lifecycle.
✅ Assess alerts using evidence and determine the appropriate triaging steps.
✅ Identify the steps to contain, eradicate, and recover from an incident.
✅ Describe the processes and procedures involved in the post-incident phase.

Week 4: You will explore logs and their role in Intrusion Detection Systems (IDS) and Security Information Event Management (SIEM) systems. You'll learn how these systems detect attacks. You’ll also be introduced to some IDS and SIEM products. In addition, you’ll write basic IDS rules to provide alerts for malicious network traffic.

Learning Objectives


✅ Discuss the importance of logs during incident investigation.
✅ Determine how to read and analyze logs during incident investigation.
✅ Describe how common intrusion detection system (IDS) tools provide security value.
✅ Interpret the basic syntax and components of signatures and logs in IDS and NIDS tools.
✅ Describe how SIEM tools collect, normalize, and analyze log data.
✅ Perform queries in SIEM tools to investigate an incident.


Every week has videos, reading materials, practice quizzes, practical scenarios to work on, and a final quiz.


7. Automate Cybersecurity Tasks with Python (27 hours)


This is the seventh course in the Google Cybersecurity Certificate. In this course, you will be introduced to the Python programming language and apply it in a cybersecurity setting to automate tasks.

You’ll start by focusing on foundational Python programming concepts, including data types, variables, conditional statements, and iterative statements.

Here are things you will learn:

✅ How the Python programming language is used in cybersecurity.
✅ Write conditional and iterative statements in Python.
✅ Create new, user-defined Python functions.
✅ Use Python to work with strings and lists.
✅ Use regular expressions to extract information from text.
✅ Use Python to open and read the contents of a file.
✅ Identify best practices to improve code readability.
✅ Practice debugging code

You’ll also learn to work with Python effectively by developing functions, using libraries and modules, and making your code readable. In addition, you’ll work with string and list data, and learn how to import, parse, and debug files.

Here is the link to join this course — Automate Cybersecurity Tasks with Python

Week 1: You will get an introduction to the Python programming language and how Python is used in cybersecurity. You'll also explore foundational Python concepts including data types, variables, conditional statements, and iterative statements.

Learning Objectives

✅ Explain how the Python programming language is used in security.
✅ Describe how various data types are handled in Python.
✅ Incorporate variables into Python code.
✅ Write conditional statements in Python.
✅ Write iterative statements in Python.

Week 2: You will expand your ability to work with Python. You'll learn about pre-built and user-defined Python functions. You'll also explore how modules help provide access to reusable code. Finally, you'll make your code readable.

Learning Objectives

✅ Incorporate pre-built functions into code.
✅ Create new, user-defined Python functions.
✅ Explain how modules are used in Python.
✅ Identify best practices to improve code readability.


Week 3: You will learn more options for working with strings and lists in Python, and discover methods that can be applied to these data types. You'll apply this knowledge to write a short algorithm. Finally, you'll use regular expressions to search for patterns in strings.

Learning Objectives

✅ Use Python to work with strings and lists.
✅ Write a simple algorithm.
✅ Use regular expressions to extract information from text.


Week 4: You will put Python into practice and focus on automating cybersecurity-related tasks, which require working with files. You'll be introduced to opening and reading files. Then, you'll learn to parse files and structure their contents. Finally, you'll focus on strategies for debugging code.

Learning Objectives

✅ Use Python to automate tasks performed by security professionals.
✅ Use Python to open and read the contents of a file.
✅ Use Python to parse a file.
✅ Practice debugging code.


Every week has videos, reading materials, practice quizzes, practical scenarios to work on, and a final quiz.

8. Put It to Work: Prepare for Cybersecurity Jobs (15 hours)


The eighth and last class for the Google Cybersecurity Certificate is this one. These eight courses will provide you with all the knowledge and abilities necessary to apply for entry-level cybersecurity jobs.

You will put a lot of emphasis on decision-making and escalating issues to stakeholders in this course. You'll learn the teamwork and communication techniques required to influence and enlighten organizational stakeholders.

You'll also look into how to conduct yourself responsibly as a cybersecurity expert. You'll learn how to interact with the cybersecurity community, look into opportunities in the industry, and conduct mock interviews.

To get ready for cybersecurity job applications and interviews, you'll also construct a CV and cover letter.


Here is the link to join this course — Put it to Work: Prepare for Cybersecurity Jobs


Week 1: You will recognize the importance of security professionals in the workplace. You'll discover how proper detection and escalation can impact an organization’s security posture.

Learning Objectives

✅ Recognize the importance of incident detection.
✅ Describe the importance of various asset types.
✅ Examine the relationship between events and incidents.
✅ Determine incidents that need to be escalated to stakeholders.
✅ Recognize the sensitive nature of secured assets and data.
✅ Explain how having an ethical security mindset supports an entry-level security analyst’s ability to protect secured assets and data


Week 2: You will explore the importance of incident prioritization and escalation. You'll learn how the decisions security professionals make help to keep business operations safe.

Learning Objectives

✅ Define incident escalation from a security analyst's perspective.
✅ Explore the various security incident classification types.
✅ Recognize the impact various security incidents have on business operations.
✅ Determine when and how to escalate a security incident.

Week 3: You will learn about important stakeholders in cybersecurity. In addition, you'll create clear and concise communications with stakeholders.

Learning Objectives

✅ Define stakeholders and describe their security roles.
✅ Communicate sensitive information with care and confidentiality.
✅ Determine the information that needs to be communicated to stakeholders.
✅ Examine how to create a dashboard to communicate essential information to stakeholders.

Week 4: You will prepare to stay up-to-date on the latest cybersecurity trends and explore how to engage with the security community.

Learning Objectives

✅ Identify reliable sources within the security community.
✅ Use reliable sources to remain current on the latest security threats, risks, vulnerabilities, and tools.
✅ Determine opportunities to become engaged with the security community.
✅ Determine ways to establish and advance a career in security, by engaging with the security community.

Week 5: You will prepare for your job search. You will explore career readiness techniques such as creating a resume, developing an elevator pitch, and preparing for the interview process. In addition, you'll use career resources that can help you find and apply for jobs in cybersecurity.

Learning Objectives

✅ Describe how to find, apply for, and prepare for a job as a security analyst.
✅ Find, apply for, and prepare for job interviews.


Every week has videos, reading materials, practice quizzes, practical scenarios to work on, and a final quiz.

Google Cybersecurity Certification Exams


Exams for the Google Cybersecurity Certificate are made up of assignments that are peer-graded and quizzes. There are tasks rather than final exams after each course.

Quizzes have a passing score of 80%, and you can retake them 3 times every 24 hours if you don't pass the first time.

The quiz questions are simple, as you can see below, and all of the information is covered in the readings.

The tasks are broken down into step-by-step directions, and it is your responsibility to follow them to finish the task. Other students grade the submitted assignments, and following submission, you also receive sample answers.


Other Google Career Certifications


A professional credential available through the Google Career credential program is the Google Cybersecurity Certification.

There are 8 more courses in the program.

✔️ Google IT Support Professional Certificate Review
✔️ Google IT Automation Professional Certificate Review
✔️ Google UX Design Professional Certificate Review
✔️ Google Project Management Professional Certificate Review
✔️ Google Digital Marketing and eCommerce Certificate Review
✔️ Google Data Analytics Certificate Review
✔️ Google Advanced Data Analytics Certificate Review

✔️ Preparing for Google Cloud Certification: Cloud Architect
✔️ Google Business Intelligence Certificate Review


Conclusion

That’s all in this review of Google’s Cybersecurity Professional certificate. The Google Cybersecurity Professional Certificate is a comprehensive and affordable option for learners who want to prepare for a career in cybersecurity.

With professional-level instruction from Google subject matter experts and employer recognition from leading businesses, this certificate program can help you develop the skills necessary to be successful in an industry that is experiencing rapid growth.

Additionally, the combined credential of the CompTIA Security+ certification and the Google Cybersecurity Professional Certificate can make graduates stand out on the job market and show that they are knowledgeable about cybersecurity principles and practices.

Overall, anyone interested in a career in cybersecurity should consider investing in the Google Cybersecurity Professional Certificate. I strongly advise enrolling in this course if you want to work as a cybersecurity engineer in 2023.

Thank you for reading, I hope this guide helps. Happy Coding👋🏾.